One method of coupling an integrated circuit (IC) device to a circuit board is to use a socket. The socket is secured to the circuit board (e.g., a motherboard), and this socket includes an array of electrical contacts (e.g., spring contacts, etc.) arranged to mate with a corresponding array of electrical leads (e.g., pins, lands, pads, bumps, etc.) on the IC device. Typically, the socket contacts are carried or supported in a frame, housing, or other support structure. A clamp or other retention mechanism may secure the IC device in the socket and compress the IC device leads against the mating contact array of the socket to form electrical connections between these two components. The aforementioned socket may not, however, be suitable for systems having a small form factor, such as hand-held computers, cell phones, and other mobile computing systems. For example, the combined height of the socket and mating IC device may be unsuitable for these small form factor products.
Alternatively, an IC device may be directly attached to a circuit board, thereby eliminating the need for a socket. By way of example, ball-grid array (BGA) technology may be utilized to couple an IC device with a circuit board, wherein a plurality of electrical leads on the IC device (e.g., an array of solder bumps, an array of copper columns, etc.) is attached to a mating set of contacts on the circuit board (e.g., lands, pads, solder bumps, etc.). A solder reflow process may be performed to create permanent electrical (and mechanical) connections between the IC device leads and circuit board contacts. A surface mount technique, such as the above-described BGA process, can reduce the height of a circuit board assembly. However, because of the reflowed solder connections (or other permanent or semi-permanent connections), such an approach can make re-work costly, reduce flexibility in the assembly flow, and make system upgrades difficult.